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“Can kidney stones be misdiagnosed as cysts?”

For years imaging reports showed I had kidney cysts that slowly kept growing. Last week I found out I have 7mm kidney stone. Can kidney stones be misdiagnosed as cysts?

Female | 35 years old
Complaint duration: 12 years +
Medications: Lamotrigine 150mg, xcorpi 200mg
Conditions: To many to list major ones are seizures, regurgitating valves in heart, kidney stones, horrible memory

6 Answers

It would be very unusual for a kidney stone to be misdiagnosed as a cyst. Stones, which are solid, and cysts, which are fluid-filled, look quite different on imaging techniques such as ultrasound or CAT scan. Some cystic kidney disorders can be associated with calcifications forming inside the cysts.
Usually not. Stones usually have calcium in them and therefore appear different. People with polycystic kidney disease (I don’t know if that’s what you have) are at a higher risk of forming kidney stones.
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You should discuss this concern with your doctor. In my experience, on imaging studies stones can’t be mistaken for cysts. They have different appearances and density.
No, it is unlikely for stones to be called cysts or vice versa.
Thank you for the question.
Kidney stones are found within the tubes that connect the kidney to the bladder, and can be at the junction of the kidney and bladder or ureter. A kidney stone, once the ureter is inflamed, may penetrate and enter into the area of the nephron or migrate into the tissue surrounding the kidney. That is probably rarely encountered physiologically. A kidney stone that does that might be mistaken for a cyst.
Have a nice day!

Sincerely,

Samuel K. Williams, III, MD, CPG
Usually, you can tell the difference between a kidney stone and a cyst. You need a sonogram, CT, or MRI to see stones or cysts. Sometimes, a regular X-ray will show kidney stones. A regular X-ray cannot show cysts. Most cysts can be followed over time. They may get bigger over time. Kidney stones can be very painful if they leave the kidney and start moving down the ureter towards the bladder.    

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